Brother, Can You Spare $4,800?

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The Portland Saturday Market may be a good place to panhandle for money, but as Madison Root found out, it’s not the right venue for starting a small business.

Root is an 11-year-old Oregon girl who decided to help her father pay for her braces, which will cost $4,800, by cutting, decorating, and selling mistletoe at the Portland Saturday Market. A private security guard asked her to stop selling because she had not gone through the formal vendor application process. However, since panhandling is a form of free speech protected by the Constitution, she was told she could simply ask for donations to pay for her braces.

Said Madison: “I don’t want to beg! I would rather work for something than beg.”

If there were a heck of a lot more Madisons in this world, we’d have a heck of a lot less problems.

Parents, are you tired of funding your teens’ pricey lifestyle but not sure how to start teaching them about personal finance? Now’s your chance! And we have the answers to all their financial questions!